


What The Gloves Hide

by RIP_Chitaprrrrr



Series: The Scars That Make Up Jason Todd [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)
Genre: Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Angst, Bruce Wayne Has Issues, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Damian Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Damian Wayne is a Little Shit, Good Older Sibling Barbara Gordon, Hurt/Comfort, Jason Todd Has Issues, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Jason Todd-centric, Protective Dick Grayson, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:15:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26484778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RIP_Chitaprrrrr/pseuds/RIP_Chitaprrrrr
Summary: After a long night out patrolling the streets of Gotham, Tim is utterly and entirely exhausted. However, when Barbara blackmails Jason into playing scrabble with them, he finds he doesn't mind being tired if it means he gets to spend time with his family.The night doesn't go perfectly though, and Tim may just come to regret ever walking into the manor that night.
Relationships: Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd, Barbara Gordon & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Everyone, Tim Drake & Jason Todd
Series: The Scars That Make Up Jason Todd [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1925428
Comments: 5
Kudos: 240





	What The Gloves Hide

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time posting on Archive of Our Own so forgive me if the formatting is wrong! Thank you to everyone who reads this fanfiction and I hope you enjoy it!

It is a long night, though Tim is no stranger to those. It was not often that he fell asleep before the sun came up, and this night is no exception. The lights are off in the Manor when he returns from his patrol, but when he enters the house, he sees that he is not the only one awake. In the living room across from the front door is Jason Todd. He is seated on the couch with a flashlight and a book. Tim clears his throat and walks over to Jason. 

“Can I turn on the lights?” Tim asks with a hushed voice. Jason only grunts in response and Tim takes that as a yes. 

He walks over to the light switch and flicks it, hearing a slight wince from Jason as the lights undoubtedly hurt his eyes. Tim walks to the couch as sits next to Jason, though he leaves a couple of feet between them, knowing better than to get too close when Jason is feeling unwell. With the lights on, he can see Jason better. He is wearing a simple black long-sleeve turtle neck and some sweatpants. What catches Tim slightly off guard is the black gloves Jason is wearing, the same gloves he wears when dressed as the Red Hood. The said man has still not spoken yet and when Tim looks over at him, he sees that Jason has turned off his flashlight but continues to read. Tim doesn't recognize the book and mentally makes a note to ask about it when both of them are feeling more awake and alert. Tim leans back against the couch and closes his eyes. He tries not to think of the strain on his back and the ache in his leg. He needs to train more, he is falling behind. He sighs and opens his eyes. 

“I am going to get some coffee, do you want anything?” He asks Jason, who once again doesn't respond. Tim walks to the kitchen and starts to brew some coffee when he hears the familiar sound of Barbara entering the kitchen. He smiles and turns around to greet her. 

“Hey, Babs. What are you doing here? It's pretty late, shouldn’t you have headed home already?” 

“Alfred invited me for dinner and then to stay the night. Who am I to turn him down?” There was a smile on her lips when she spoke, and Tim walked away from the coffee machine to sit at the table where Barbara is. He sits down and tries not to wince at the spike of pain that shoots through his leg. Barbara, of course, notices and frowns. 

“What happened to your leg?”

“Nothing, I’m fine,” 

“I don't believe that for a second. What happened?” 

“Just some thugs who fought better than I thought. They got a lucky hit in,” Tim really doesn't feel like talking about this anymore, and it must show on his face as Barbara doesn't bring it up again. “What did you do tonight while I was out?” He asks. Barbara rolled her eyes,

“It was a pretty good night. Alfred made burgers for Jason, probably as a bribe to stay for dinner.”

“I’m sure he appreciated that,” Tim says hoping that Jason is finally coming around to being comfortable around them.

“He did, but Damian didn't,” Barbara says this with a tone that is hard to name, but Tim can guess it's not a pleasant one. 

“What did he do?”

“What else would he do? He picked a fight with Jason.” Barbara removes her glasses and rubs her eyes with a sigh. “Called him a zombie,”

“Oh,” Tim replies, because what else is there to say? Everyone knows that Damian and Jason aren’t close and that it was only on special occasions that Damian showed care for Jason. 

“How did Jason handle it?” He already knew, had already seen Jason curled up in the dark alone trying to hide how his large frame shook, but Tim felt like he needed to ask anyway.

“To his credit,” Barbara starts “He didn't hit the kid. He just excused himself from dinner and left. I don't know where he went, and Dick and Bruce weren’t home so they probably don't know either.” 

“He's back,” Tim says as the coffee machine beeps. He grabs a mug from the cabinet and begins to fill it with the freshly made beverage. He also grabs a glass from the cabinet and fills it with water. “He's in the living room,” 

Tim doesn't say anything else and begins to walk back to the room where Jason rests. He places the glass of water on the coffee table wordlessly and pushes it in front of Jason before leaning back and quietly sipping from his own cup. Jason hesitates before putting his book down and reaching for the water. Tim smiles to himself as Barbara wheels herself into the living room with a box in her lap. Jason raises an eyebrow at her but doesn't otherwise say anything. After finally getting Jason to stick around them, they quickly learned that when Jason gets upset, he either yells and curses or is quiet and resigned. It seems like tonight is going to be a quiet night. 

“What's in the box, Babs?” Tim asks when Barbara situated herself on the other side of the wooden coffee table between them. 

“Scrabble,” She says holding the box up proudly. Tim feels his smile grow and he looks to Jason expectantly. Jason seems to catch on rather quickly. 

“Hell no. I’m not playing Scrabble with you two at 3 in the fucking morning.” Jason says this without anger, but there is clear annoyance behind his words. 

“Come on, Jason. Just one round?” Barbara asks, putting her charm on display in an attempt to sway him. He doesn't budge,

“Absolutely not. If you won't let me read in peace then I’m gonna bounce.” He begins to get up when Barbara starts smiling widely. Jason falters for a second but continues to stand. 

“Jason, did you know that we have cameras in almost every room of the manor?” Barbara says with joy clear in her voice. Jason silently curses to himself before turning around again, prepared to face whatever blackmail Barbara thinks she has on him.

“What game are you playing Gordon?” He asks with a slight frown on his face. Tim has to hold back his smile at the situation. 

“Just Scrabble. If you don't want to play though, I guess I could show dear Tim here what you've been up to in the library these past couple of weeks.” 

“Awe fuck you, Barbara,” Jason says, though there is no malice in his voice, as he sits back down on the couch next to Tim. Tim smiles and mouths his thanks to Barbara. She opens the box and puts the board on the table while Jason begins to set up the little wooden letters. When the game is set up, they begin. It starts out fine, normal words like House and Thank. The game continues on with them placing small and easy words on the board. Jason puts down Cat without much thought but the game quickly gets serious when Tim somehow turns Cat into Catatonic. The silence in the room is palpable as he sets down the letter C on the board. Jason is staring intently at the board before placing his own letters down. Barbara had put down the word Dumb earlier in the game and Jason took advantage of this. He placed down a couple more letters to make the word Adumbrate. 

“Is that a word?” Barbara asks quietly and Jason smiles while Tim stares critically at the board. It's Barbara’s turn and the pressure is on. She doesn't have any good letters and just puts down the letters A and P under Catatonic to make the word Cap. Almost without hesitation, Tim turns it into the word Capricious. Barbara audibly gasps and Jason frowns. The board is not very full yet and there are plenty of wooden letters left to use, but Barbara can already tell that this game is going to turn into a competition between the two boys. Jason glares at Tim before adding his own letters to the board. Using the letter A from Tim’s word Capricious, Jason makes the word Ameliorate. Barbara has already given up on the game. Tim however, is dedicated to winning. He racks his brain for words he can use, and the game continues. After about ten more minutes of Tim and Jason pulling random words out of their asses and Barbara tagging along, Tim makes his first fatal mistake. 

He takes a sip from his coffee that is still warm, and when he puts it down, he completely misses the table, and the drink spills onto Jason’s hands. Jason stands up cursing and storms off into the kitchen with Tim following closely behind. 

“Jason, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to-” 

“Shut it, Drake.” Jason snarks back, Tim grabs a towel from the towel rack and helps Jason clean his gloves. It proves useless as even though the gloves are black, the coffee has done a number on them. Jason scowls and tries to keep soaking up the spilled beverage with towels.

“Jason, it's not going to work. I'm sorry.”

“I said shut it.” Jason has his back to Tim, and he can see the tension in Jason’s shoulders. He places a hand hesitantly on Jason’s shoulder and even though Jason freezes at the contact, he doesn't tell Tim off. 

“It's ok. Just take off the gloves for now and I’ll help you get new ones tomorrow, alright?” Tim does truly feel bad, and he tries to convey that with his words. Jason seems to get the idea and he shakes off Tim’s hand and turns around. He walks back to the living room and Tim grabs paper towels before leaving as well. Jason goes to sit on the couch and he glares at the fallen coffee mug. Tim wipes up the coffee and after throwing away the soiled paper towels, he returns. When he sits back down, he notices Jason’s gloves on the table next to their board. He doesn't say anything and so Tim doesn't either. Barbara starts the game up again to try and distract the boys. It works for a while, Jason and Tim making difficult words while Barbara struggles to make any words, but she still finds herself enjoying the game. With them getting invested in the game again, Tim makes his second fatal mistake. 

Space on the board is limited, and Tim is running out of letters. Without thinking, he sees that there is space beneath the letter R from an earlier word. He places down his letters. He makes the word resurrection. Barbara freezes and immediately looks to Jason. His hands are balled up into fists and he is avidly glaring at the word Tim put down. To anyone watching this game without any context, they would simply think Jason is upset by how high a score the word has, but Barbara knows better. Tim seems to finally understand what went wrong and he quickly begins to apologize but is interrupted. 

“Fuck you, Drake!” Jason says harshly while standing up. He kicks out his foot and the coffee table goes flying. The only sounds are Jason’s heavy breathing and the sound of the wooden letters falling on the floor.

“Do you think this is funny? What, did you and that fucking brat Damian plan this?” Tim is speechless as Jason storms over to him and grabs him by the front of his suit. “You think it's funny that I fucking died?” Jason is yelling loudly now and he pushes Tim up against the wall with force. It's obvious that Jason is just angry in general, frustrated by multiple things, not solely Tim’s Scrabble word, but that doesn’t change the fact that Tim triggered him and hurt him. Jason had a bad night and from his perspective, the whole world seems against him at every turn. 

“Jason, stop,” Barbara says while trying to calm him down, but this only agitates Jason more. 

“Stop? You want me to stop? What about him? He doesn't get to mention it, he wasn't fucking there.” He raises his hand and goes to punch Tim in the face. Tim can feel Jason’s fist connect with his nose, and he yelps out in pain. Jason raises his hand to hit Tim again, but the look on Barbara’s face is enough to make him pause. She has tears in her eyes and is begging Jason to stop. He looks back at Tim and can see the panic in Tim’s eyes. They may be on better terms now, but neither of them has forgotten what Jason did in the past. 

Jason steps back and releases his grip on Tim’s suit, but he is not done yet. He shoves Tim aggressively against the wall and takes several steps back. He turns around so that his back is facing both Barbara and Tim, and he puts his head in his hands. He is shaking, and Tim can see the way Jason is holding himself back. It is common knowledge that the Lazarus Pit changes people, drives them mad. Jason is breathing heavily and if the way his shoulders are shaking is any indication, Jason is crying. Tim tries to reach out to offer some type of emotional support, but Jason flinches harshly when his hand connects to Jason’s shoulders. 

“I am sorry, Jason. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Tim is speaking sincerely and he hopes that Jason can tell. Jason moves his head from his hands and turns around to glare at Tim. Tim doesn't back down though, and he takes a step forward towards Jason. Jason takes three steps back and hardens his glare at Tim. Jason’s eyes are red and his body is shaking slightly.

“Yes, you did,” Jason says coldly. “You meant to upset me. That's why you used that fucking word.” Jason is still shaking and his eyes look unfocused.

“I promise you, Jason. I didn't mean to. I wasn't thinking. You were doing so well at the game and it was the only word I could think of. Please believe me.” Tim continues to try and comfort Jason and he stares intensely into Jason’s eyes, begging for understanding. 

“I don't believe you! You knew, you and Damian. You both hate me and-” Jason’s voice cracks and he wipes away the stray tears that fall on his cheeks. Tim tries again to take a step forward, but he pushes too hard. In the split second it takes for Jason to see Tim move, he runs. He runs out the front door leaving Barbara and Tim in a deafening silence. 

After a couple of seconds, Tim sighs and goes to fix the mess they made. He bends down and fixes the table before starting to pick up the Scrabble tiles that have been scattered all across the floor. Barbara leans down to pick up the Scrabble box, holding it out for Tim to drop the piecing into. Neither of them says anything but they continue to work together to clean up Jason’s mess. When all of the pieces are away, Barbara bids Tim goodnight and wordlessly leaves to find the guest room she’ll be staying in for the night. Tim is about to leave as well but is stopped when he sees Jason’s forgotten gloves hidden slightly under the couch. He goes to pick them up and heads for his room.

The halls are quiet, and when Tim walks past Jason’s old room, he is easily able to hear the soft cries that come from within. He reaches for the doorknob but hesitates. He’s the one who upset Jason, is he really the best person to try and help? His mind is made when he hears a particularly harsh sob come from the room. He knocks on the door before entering.

“Jason? It’s Tim, may I come in?” 

Jason’s cries stop abruptly, and after some quiet shuffling around from inside, the door opens quickly. Jason is standing straight up, his height looming over Tim like a warning to not agitate him. The window is open behind him and his eyes are red and puffy, but he seems less angry than before. Jason doesn't say anything, but when Tim asks if he can come in again, Jason moves to the side. 

The room isn’t necessarily dirty, but its neglect is clear. There is a thin layer of dust everywhere which does nothing to hide the fact that it hasn't been used in years. In fact, Tim thinks this is the first time anyone has been inside the room since Jason’s death besides Alfred who comes in every once in a while to clean. The room looks too young for the Jason standing before him, too innocent. The band posters on the wall and the middle school textbooks open on the desk make the situation all the more bizarre. 

Jason ignores Tim and goes to sit on the bed that is too small for him. Despite being a giant of a man covered in scars and injuries, he looks so young sitting there, his arms holding himself as though he could fall apart at any moment. It reminds Tim that Jason is a lot younger than most people think. Tim goes to sit next to him, and he tries not to be offended when Jason slides as far away as he can. No one says anything, and so Tim decides to be the bigger man and start. 

“How are you feeling?” It's a simple question, only meant to get the ball of conversation rolling. 

“Like I’ve come back from the dead,” 

“Jason-” 

“Oh shut the fuck up, Drake,” Jason says while turning to look at him. “I get it, ok? You feel guilty because you think that it's all your fault I got fucking triggered.”

“It is my fault, I shouldn’t have put down that word.” 

“Oh give it up. I'm the one who should be sorry. It was a fucking game of Scrabble. I know I overreacted, I know I’m the pathetic loser who can't control himself and thinks the whole world is against him.” Jason is shaking again, but Tim isn’t ready to let this go yet.

“You’ll get better, ok? These things take time. We all have trauma, and we all need to work on getting better.” Tim reaches out for Jason’s shoulder but Jason stands up and walks away. He reaches for his messy hair and painfully pulls on it while pacing around his old room. 

“I’m not gonna get better. I'm fucked up, and as long as the fucking clown is still alive, I’m gonna spend every day of my miserable life wishing he would just kill me again.” 

“Jason,” Tim says softly. “You don't actually mean that, right?” 

Jason only laughs in response. Tim gets up and walks towards Jason. He reaches out and gently takes Jason’s hands and pulls them away from his hair. Once his hands are free, Tim leads him back to the bed and has him sit down. 

“Jason, listen to me.” Jason looks up and meets Tim’s eyes with his own. “You are going to get better. Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually, you’ll see what everyone else sees. A man who is loved and who deserves to feel safe.”

“I’ll never feel safe,” Jason says as his lips turn into a grimace. Tim knows. He knows that as long as the Joker is alive and able to escape from Arkham, Jason will never feel like he is safe. 

“I know,” he says. “I know it seems like that now, but I promise you, I won't let him hurt you again.” 

“Unless you kill him, you can't make that promise.” 

Tim doesn't respond, knowing that he can't change Jason’s mind on this matter. All it will take is time. Instead of saying anything, Tim looks down to where he is holding Jason’s hands. He feels his eyes widen slightly at the scars on Jason’s fingers. 

“Jason,” Tim says his name delicately but with clear intent. “What happened to your hands?” 

Jason freezes and quickly pulls his hands away from Tim, but it was too late. He has already seen the horrid scarring on his hands, specifically his fingers. Jason looks at the door like he wants to run again, and Tim quickly puts his hands up in defeat, a sign of surrender. 

“You don't have to answer, I’m sorry I asked.” Jason sighs like he hasn't slept in days, and he must truly be tired because he actually answers. 

“Got them in the coffin,” He says with a bitter taste on his tongue. Tim may not have been there when Jason died, but he was there for everything after. He knew that Jason woke up in his coffin, knew he got out and wandered the streets of Gotham for a while before being found. But it never registered to Tim that escaping from your own coffin would leave scars. 

“Is that why you always wear gloves?” Tim asks hesitantly, though he's pretty sure he already knows the answer. Jason nods and holds out one of his scarred hands to allow Tim to see. As soon as Tim takes Jason’s hand in his own he can practically feel Jason’s exhaustion. After getting upset with Damian at dinner, having coffee spilled on his gloves, and then the fight with Tim, Jason looks just about ready to pass out.  
Tim takes a closer look at Jason’s hand and feels his eyes widen slightly. On and around the tips of Jason’s fingers are tons of small little scars, it almost looks like his hand was in a low-powered blender. And his fingernails are bad as well. Some are crooked from growing back wrong and almost all of them had been forcibly bitten down to the point of there being dried blood trapped underneath when they grew back. Jason’s hands are shaking slightly and Tim stops inspecting Jason’s hand and lets go gently. Jason looks up in slight surprise but doesn't say anything. 

“Jason, how do you have scarring?” Tim asks tentatively. “I thought that the Lazarus Pit got rid of injury?” 

“I honestly don't know,” Jason says. “I have some other scars from before that weren't erased in The Pit. If I had to guess, I would say that because my brain was so messed up, The Pit only fixed that.”

“What exactly does that mean?” He asks. “I'm sorry, I’m just not very knowledgeable about what The Pit does.”

“Of course you aren't,” Jason says bitterly. “When I was put in The Pit, my body had already healed from its injuries. I was comatose in a hospital for so long that my body just kinda healed up a bit on its own. When I was put in The Pit though, my brain was fried. I couldn't think, couldn’t do anything except eat and fight. I think I was so far gone that the one time I was in The Pit, it was only able to fix my brain.” 

“You said you have other scars? Scars that The Pit didn't heal?” Tim asks kindly, but Jason tenses up at the question, and he is suddenly awake enough to be angry again. 

“Yeah.” He says flatly. “I’ve got a few.” 

Tim takes this as a clear sign of wanting to drop the conversation, and he does. He doesn't say anything for a while, and he can see Jason’s shoulders start to sag as the weight of the night hits him. 

“Why don't you get some rest, huh?” Tim asks as he begins to stand. Jason stands as well and heads for the door. 

“You don't want to sleep in here? It’s a little dusty, sure, but it's a lot closer than wherever you are staying.”

“It's not my room anymore,” Jason says as he leaves. The door shuts loudly and Tim just stands there, wondering what Jason meant when he said that. After a couple of minutes of just standing around, Tim exits the room and walks down the hall. 

When he finally makes it to his room, he starts to get ready for bed. He leaves his phone on the charger and walks to the connected bathroom to shower. He turns the water on as hot as it will go and lets the stream wash away the sweat and grime from the day. He hears his phone go off but makes no move to hurry up. He slowly washes and when he steps out of the shower, he takes a minute to stare at himself in the mirror. He has dark circles under his eyes and his skin looks pale. When he looks at his neck, he can see a light bruise forming from when Jason grabbed him. He looks back up at himself for a second before walking to his room and getting dressed. He hears his phone go off again and as he sits on his bed, he checks who is texting him.

Jason T. 3:47 am  
Hey Replacement. Sorry for getting angry earlier. I owe you one

Jason T. 3:54 am  
Tell Barbara I’m sorry as well

Tim smiles slightly at his phone and quickly texts back that it's alright and he's still sorry for what happened. He doesn't get a reply back immediately so he goes to put his dirty suit in the designated spot. He lays down on his bed and lets his bones rest for a bit before he feels himself begin to drift off to sleep. That night he dreams of graves and rain and fear. When he wakes up, he sees that Jason texted again after he fell asleep. He reads the text and feels himself smiling down at his screen. He gets up and starts the day feeling better than he has in a while. 

* * * * *

Jason T. 4:27 am  
Let’s play Scrabble again sometime. I was close to beating your ass at the game.

Jason T. 430 am  
Don't feel bad about what happened. I know it wasn't your fault. 

Jason T. 4:31 am  
Goodnight Tim


End file.
